"THE JUDGE TOLD ME I WAS A MENACE TO SOCIETY."

"Mark" was in high school when he first started selling weed to his friends. After he graduated in 2009, he attended community college for awhile and looked for a "real" job, but found nothing that would come close to matching what he made as a dealer. So, he just kept doing it.

Over the next few years, Mark met the right people, who introduced him to more industry contacts. Soon, he and his business partner began making distribution runs across the country, reinvesting each multi-thousand dollar chunk of cash back into the business to build a nest egg that symbolized their freedom. When they found a house in Florida that they could afford to buy in cash, they were ready to retire from the drug trade. All they needed was one more run.

But that run would indeed be their last. While waiting for their dealer to sell the final few pounds one summer day in Virginia Beach, they were arrested.

This series of events was the catalyst for Mark's 8-month prison stint, where he awaited trial for felony trafficking, felony conspiracy, and felony possession of a Class 1 controlled substance with intent to distribute. Mark, who grew up in a town with fewer than 2000 residents, was thousands of miles from home and far outside his comfort zone. But, he coped. In fact, he coped well. And eventually, he was released.